1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disc music box in which a disc having a plurality of engaging parts for playing is rotated by a motor and star wheels which are guided by the engaging parts for playing are rotated to pluck music box petals to play a melody, and particularly to recording on the disc of control information for controlling an instrument related to the play of the music box and controlling the equipment directly or in parallel in association with the play of the music box.
The invention also relates to controlling of a trick or animated timepiece in association with the play of the music box, which trick or animating timepiece has a trick mechanism incorporated therein and a disc music box mounted thereon. The term "tricky or animated" means mechanized movements designed to amuse or impress as described in more detail hereinafter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally known sounding means used for a time signal of a timepiece or the like is not limited to one which produces an inorganic electronic sound by a sounding circuit and a loud speaker, but also one which produces a conventional soft music box's sound by a mechanical music box instrument.
Such a music box instrument generally plays a previously provided single music number and comprises music box sounding prongs in a strip shape with a plurality of sounding parts corresponding to the number of musical intervals, a barrel which is disposed to oppose the music box sounding prongs and provided with pins protruded at appropriate positions on the outer periphery of the barrel to pluck the sounding parts of the sounding prongs with predetermined playing timing, and a drive unit for rotating the barrel at a predetermined speed.
Specifically, the sounding prongs have a substantially oblong metal plate formed in the shape of comb teeth which have the sounding parts corresponding to the number of musical intervals, and these comb teeth (music box petals) have a predetermined length and thickness to have specific pitches to make allotted music box sounds when the tips of the music box petals are plucked. The barrel is formed in a cylinder longer than at least the sounding prongs, disposed to be rotatable and to face the sounding parts of the sounding prongs, and formed intermittent pins corresponding to a music number and protruded from the outer periphery of the barrel which is opposed to the sounding parts of the sounding prongs. And, the drive unit drives to rotate the barrel in a predetermined direction at a given speed, and the respective pins of the barrel pluck the respective sounding parts of the sounding prongs with predetermined timing to play a music number.
Another music box instrument has been proposed which is provided instead of the barrel with a circular plate-shaped music box disc having engaging and driving parts for sounding and driving the respective sounding parts of the sounding prongs, and the music box disc can be changed to play a desired music number. The music box disc of the above music box instrument is a metal disc, its one side is divided into a plurality of tracks corresponding to the music box petals of the music prongs, and the engaging and driving units are formed at a position in a circumferential direction corresponding to the playing timing of musical intervals allotted by the tracks. These engaging and driving parts comprise pins protruded from one side of the music box disc and holes having a predetermined diameter. And, the predetermined parts of the sounding prongs are plucked by these engaging and driving parts to play a music box.
The music box having the music box disc includes a circular plate-shaped music box disc having multiple engaging and driving parts to play music, the music box disc is driven to rotate by a drive mechanism of the music box body. And, the music box body has star wheels for plucking the music box petals of the sounding prongs mounted to be rotatable on a star wheel shaft. And, when the music box disc is rotated by the drive mechanism, the engaging and driving parts of the music box disc engage with picks of the star wheels which correspond to the engaging and driving parts to rotate the star wheels, and the music box petals are plucked by other picks which are subsequent to the rotating star wheels to produce music box sounds to play a melody.
This disc music box holds the music box disc at a position opposed to the star wheels by pushing from one side by a music box disc holding arm which is provided with a holding roller, so that a relatively thin music box disc can be used. Therefore, music box discs having different patterned music numbers formed can be produced in a large number inexpensively, easily stored and managed easily because they are thin, and transported efficiently.
In addition, since the music box discs are handled with ease, they can be attached to or removed from the music box readily and exchanged in a short time. Therefore, when a plurality of music box discs for different music numbers are provided in advance and a music box disc is changed to another disc for a desired music number, a music number to be played can be changed quickly and with ease.
As described above, the disc music box is easy to mount a desired music box disc by selecting from a plurality of music box discs as compared with the music box provided with a stationary barrel for a single music only. It has an advantage that music numbers can be changed flexibly and easily in accordance with a taste of the user. When this disc music box is desired to be operated in association with another instrument, a time chart is generally provided in advance, and the play of the music box and the operation of the instrument are controlled according to the time chart.
For example, a trick timepiece which does tricks at predetermined time starts playing the music box according to the previously provided time chart and controls the operation of the related instrument such as a puppet with timing recorded in the time chart. Therefore, when a structure is simple, the operation of the instrument may not change even when the music number is changed. Such a trick timepiece has disadvantages that flexible control cannot be made depending on music numbers, and its circuit structure is too complex to be applied for a small-scale trick timepiece for home use.
To use sound holes to control the instrument, namely to directly get control signals for respective instruments from a sounding pattern, the music scales of a music number are determined to produce the control signal, and the circuit structure is made complex. In any event, since the instrument is indirectly controlled to play the music box, it is hard to control the instrument in detail, and the circuit structure is made complex.
In view of the above-described circumstances, the invention has been completed to provide a disc music box which has information for controlling an associated instrument recorded on a play information free portion of a disc or on a specific portion of the engaging parts for playing. And, to operate in association with another instrument, the above music box instrument is provided with a time chart in advance, and the play of the music box and the operation of the instrument are controlled according to the time chart. In other words, a trick timepiece which does tricks at predetermined time starts playing the music box according to the previously provided time chart and controls the operation of the associated instrument such as the puppet with the timing recorded in the time chart. Therefore, when a structure is simple, the operation of tricks by the instrument remains same even when the music number is changed, resulting in attracting poor interest. And, such a trick timepiece has disadvantages that flexible control is hardly made depending on music numbers, and its circuit structure is too complex to be applied for a compact trick timepiece for home use.
Besides, to use sound holes to control the instrument, namely to directly get control signals for respective instruments from a sounding pattern, the music scales of a music number are determined to produce the control signal, and the circuit structure is made complex. In any event, since the instrument is indirectly controlled to play the music box, it is hard to control the instrument in detail, and the circuit structure is made complex.